Brief of Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada to Parliamentary Hearing
Call for Canada to Uphold its Legal and Humanitarian Commitments
For 33 years, Canada has been one of the countries consistently voting in favour of Cuba's annual resolution tabled at the UN General Assembly, "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba," that opposes the U.S. blockade that has been in place since 1961. The aim of the blockade was unambiguously articulated by Lester D. Mallory, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs and an architect of U.S. Cuba policy. He wrote in a now-declassified U.S. State Department April 6, 1960, memorandum:
"The only foreseeable means of alienating internal support is through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship. [...] every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the economic life of Cuba denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government."
The Government of Canada is fully informed through its Ambassador to the United Nations who receives all the documentation on the consequences that the blockade has had on Cuba.
The blockade constitutes abuse of the human rights of Cuba's 10 million people -- men, women, children, the elderly, all those with special needs and the most vulnerable.
The committee already has at its disposal all the facts which show that the sanctions regime represents a significant obstacle to sustainable economic development, as well as an egregious abuse of human rights. There is also no evidence for U.S. claims that Cuba is sponsoring terrorism or that it is engaged in drug trafficking in any way. Before it left office, the Biden administration removed Cuba from its list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism" -- a measure Donald Trump reversed merely six days after he took office in 2025.
The immediate dire need Cuba is experiencing is not a political issue; it is a human rights issue. Now, with Executive Order 14380 declared by U.S. President Trump on January 29, 2026, authorizing the United States to impose new tariffs on imports from countries that directly or indirectly supply oil to the Government of Cuba, its effects are causing even more serious consequences, putting the lives of those 10 million Cubans in mortal danger. They are also an extra-territorial affront to all self-respecting sovereign countries the U.S. threatens should they defy the U.S. Executive Order.
Coming on top of the extrajudicial killings the U.S. is carrying out in the Caribbean, which may even implicate Canada whose armed forces personnel participate in joint operations of various kinds with U.S. armed forces, this blockade of oil shipments to Cuba is something no self-respecting law-abiding country can justify, tolerate or sustain without facing serious unforeseen consequences -- from the condemnation of its own people to facing the consequences of similar threats to its own sovereignty, security and self-respect.
The Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada calls on all parliamentarians and people who honour international rule of law, justice, human dignity and human rights to understand that it is in Canada's interests to defy Trump's Executive Order by publicly calling it legally and morally wrong and by sending humanitarian aid.
It could also send solar panels and supplies to help repair Cuba's electricity grid. Much of the electricity grid operates with oil produced in Cuba but it does not function at this time due to a lack of the spare parts to make repairs. This could be discussed with the Cuban Ministry of Energy with the aim of Canada providing spare parts to make repairs. Such aid would be a serious concrete humanitarian measure to help offset the negative consequences resulting from the blockade on imported oil.
The MLPC also calls on the government to support Canadian airlines to resume their flights to Cuba, as tourism is a most important source of income for the country's health and education sectors. Tourists are well cared for at every level in Cuba. The airlines of other countries have made alternative fueling arrangements and Canada should help Canadian airlines do so as well.
The MLPC calls on Canada to show its commitment to sovereignty, international law and non-interference in both Canada's affairs and the affairs of all countries, in deeds.
The MLPC calls on Canada to exercise moral authority and its diplomatic standing to take a principled position. In this way, Canada would reaffirm its commitment to international law, the principles of the United Nations Charter, state sovereignty and non-interference in its internal affairs and support the same for all nations.
A clear and consistent position on the part of Canada would demonstrate principled leadership aligned with Canada's commitments under international humanitarian law.
This is the time to act to uphold the international rule of law and not permit the crimes the U.S. is carrying out against Cuba as well as against other countries to take place.
Anna Di Carlo
National Leader
Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada (MLPC)
February 25, 2026
(The MLPC is a federally registered political party.)
This article was published in
Volume 56 Number 3 - March-April, 2026
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/TML2026/Articles/MS56039.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca